The Grumpiest Audaxer?

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Philip Whiteman

Über Member
Location
Worcestershire
Most riders I meet are friendly and relatively chatty. Camaraderie comes with the territory. Even if you do not wish to enter long detailed conversations, it is usual to exchange one or two words as you pass each other.

On one climb yesterday I rapidly caught up with another audaxer and merely said, "I hear that the northern section is much hillier". The response, "I want to ride by myself, go away". So I did and never saw him again. He was clearly sulking some distance behind.

For the first 100 km, we kept hop-scotching at the front of the spread out field. Clearly our speeds we of a similar average and were only ever 5 minutes apart. When he was visually ahead, he would often turn his head to view my location.

I also witnessed him becoming impatient with the controllers including a bark, "no I don't want any cake, I want to get on".





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Tim Bennet.

Entirely Average Member
Location
S of Kendal
I think a competition for 'The Grumpiest Audaxer' would be overwhelmed with candidates.

I remember on the 'Everyone Rides to Skeggy 300', I slowly caught up with another lone rider on the section across the Lincolnshire Fens that was straight into the teeth of a bitter NE gale.

When I drew level, I commented that if we worked together we would both have an easier time reaching the coast. He stared at me and his face became contorted as if I had suggested stopping off in a lay-by for anal sex. He spent the next fifty miles fighting to stay exactly 30 yards in front of me, turning around constantly to make sure I didn't encroached on his sad space.

And they wonder why Sportives have become so popular.
 

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
but even I'm not grumpy (any more) on FNRttC.

FNRttC is like a night time BP with all the miserablists removed.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
What a nice chap!

On my first '200', I rode up to another rider and mentioned that I was starting to get tired and that it was my first 'official' 200 (I had done the distance before on a solo ride of my own devising but I wasn't exactly used to the distance).

I thought perhaps he'd offer a few words of encouragement but instead he said "I don't know why I bother with 200s any more; they are so easy, there just isn't any challenge!"

A pretty daft remark I reckon - any route can be made challenging by just riding faster!
 

Ian H

Ancient randonneur
'Lone rider' gives it away. If you want camaraderie, join a group. At least you know they're socialised enough to ride together.
 

mercurykev

Well-Known Member
Someone once described the scene in an audax control as a load of socially inept men drinking tea and desperately trying to not make eye contact with each other :sad: It is an activity which attracts loners; however, the vast majority of folk I know are a great laugh.
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
Philip Whiteman said:
On one climb yesterday I rapidly caught up with another audaxer and merely said, "I hear that the northern section is much hillier". The response, "I want to ride by myself, go away". So I did and never saw him again. He was clearly sulking some distance behind.

How wonderful it would have been if he'd suffered a major mechanical ahead of you, and you could have sailed past saying "I won't offer to help, since you'd rather be alone...."

I also witnessed him becoming impatient with the controllers including a bark, "no I don't want any cake, I want to get on".


That's not grumpy, that's mentally ill....:sad:

I think if someone is that rude, they should be DNF'd automatically. I bet he never said thank you to anyone for arranging things either.


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There are some people from all parts of the autistic spectrum in cycling, as in any activity, but there do seem to be a fair share of people who can't interact with other humans...
 
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